Ex-police officer in murder probe

By Rich Chang / Staff reporter

Sun, Nov 04, 2012 - Page 3

A retired Pingtung County police officer was detained by judges on Friday on suspicion of killing his younger brother to claim an insurance pay-out.

Pingtung investigators said on July 21 a man surnamed Yu (游), 49, was hit and killed by an unlicensed car as he was riding a bicycle near his home in the county.

Investigators said they later determined the car was red and traced it to Yu’s brother, Yu Chien-tsun (游建村), 51, a retired police officer.

Investigators said they found the car burned and abandoned in a remote area in Greater Kaohsiung’s Liouguei District (六龜).

They added that they found that Yu Chien-tsun had, over three years, taken out three insurance policies worth nearly NT$30 million (US$1 million) on behalf of his brother and named him as the beneficiary. Since the death of his brother, Yu Chien-tsun had already claimed nearly NT$10 million, investigators said.

According to the investigators, the deceased was slightly mentally challenged, had not been married and lived alone.

Investigators said that since Yu Chien-tsun retired in June last year, he had made investments in hotel and motel businesses, but they had not been successful, leaving him nearly NT$10 million in debt.

Yu Chien-tsun was arrested on Friday. He denied any involvement in the alleged murder.

However, because the ex-police officer failed to clear some of the allegations against him, investigators said county judges decided to detain him for further questioning.